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18.10.12

'Spellbound' Garden Mums

I've never really been a fan of garden mums. I don't have anything against planting mums in the garden, but I've just never been enthusiastic about these fall color providers. I guess I'm just missing the gene that makes gardeners excited about mums this time of year. Earlier this autumn, an unexpected shipment of plants arrived. Inside were these 'Spellbound' garden mums from Raker up in Litchfield, Michigan. 

'Spellbound' garden mums


Inside the boxes were two 'Spellbound' garden mums in full bloom. I'm not sure how the company got my address to send me these plants, but I appreciated being greeted by such beautiful color upon opening the boxes.

Garden mum, Spellbound

One reason I've never gotten enthusiastic about mums is that they're a fairly ubiquitous plant. They also seem to be the go-to plant of florist to express sympathy for an illness and loss. But what makes these 'Spellbound' mums special? Well, just look at them for starters. The bright pastel colors evoke the promise of spring, rather than a drab fall and death that I associate with mums.

Spellbound Garden mums

Have you noticed that there are three colors in each pot instead of the single color you usually find with potted garden mums? There are yellow, pink, and fuchsia flowers in each pot. These plant growers combine three different varieties of mums from the same genetic family in a propagation cell. The result of a three color combination in a pot that makes each pot of 'Spellbound' garden mums unique.

Planting Fall Garden Mums in the Garden


Many gardeners treat mums as an annual and a temporary way to provide color in fall plantings. Garden mums are often tossed once winter comes in many colder climates, but they can be planted in the garden where they will continue to grow. The same neighbor mentioned in the post on saving cockscomb seeds has an impressive border of mums. They've gotten so nice and full over the years and put on a nice display of color starting in late summer that extends into fall. When the blooms start to fade on the potted garden mums she just makes a space for the plant in the garden and mulches it heavily before the first freeze.

Garden mums you find in the fall in garden centers have been grown and pampered to bloom for the fall to take advantage of impulse sales. Their root systems may not be extensive enough to survive a winter, but if someone gives you a mum, or you buy one to decorate a planter with, give it a chance to continue growing in the garden by planting them in the garden. There's no guarantee that it will survive a winter if it doesn't have enough time to establish roots, but there is no harm in trying. Gardeners in warmer zones don't have to worry about this. But those of us gardening in colder zone should ideally plant mums in the spring if you want to give them enough time to establish roots and survive a winter.

Are you crazy about garden mums? Do you think mums are 'meh'?


18 comments:

  1. Mums are definitely a plant I love but I don't necessarily grow a lot of them---ok, I've never really grown them just bought some in a pot to keep on the porch at one time or another.

    I like the fact that they generally produce blooms multiple times a year, at least in the south.

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    1. You guys in the south are lucky. Up here if you want blooms for the fall you have to pinch the plants back in the summer to get a nice flush of blooms in the fall. I can appreciate mums for being generally easy plants to grow though.

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  2. Those are some pretty great mums! I love the mixed color. I'm not usually a fan of mums since I've always considered them disposable after the season. I'm going to try keeping my current ones (picked out by my children since they decided we needed color on the porch) through the winter. Living in very southern 7B, we might just be able to make them last. Thanks for the tips!

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    Replies
    1. Modern Mia, Good luck with your mums. Living where you do you shouldn't have a problem with overwintering them in the ground.

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  3. My husband thinks mums are a waste of money. I do not want them to come back because they take up precious gardens space which I do not have a great deal. So, I do give in and buy some each year because I just have to have that fall color.

    Eileen

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    1. Gatsbys Gardens, I used to think they were a waste of money too, but then I realized that just about all of my favorite annuals are a waste of money if I thought about it. It's fine to "waste" money ever now and then on an annual that is just for decoration for a few weeks.

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  4. Like you, i am re-evaluating mums. Im not a big fan of yellow or orange blooms, and the lavendar ones have always looked incipid... but ...

    Last year ibought some dark red/almost burgundy for my planters and they have been so nice that i moved them intothefront bed and added five more in sept. (Zone 7b). They look great and if we do nt have a terrible winter should be fine. Glad i gave them anotherlook. Hope you continue to likr yours. They are lovely and certainly not incipid.

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    1. Webb, This year I've seen a couple of really dark red garden mums that are making me think about adding them. Although, I haven't been able to find the garden mums I saw in a garden center. I think I may pull a chunk of the one I saw in the public planter to save it. I wonder if we're thinking of the same mum.

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  5. The spellbound mums arae georgeous. Like you I've always associated mums with unhappy events. Somehow, the nurserys will always stock lots of mums for the Chinese Spring festival (Chinese New Year). Last year I relented as they have such lovely ones, so I bought quite a lot to mark the event. I like the pompoms type.

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    1. Stiletto,

      Yeah, I think the primary reason I don't appreciate them is because I have this association with them and unhappy events. I love the pompom style mums too.

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  6. Anonymous2:22 PM

    I haven't bought any mums in years. To me they are "meh", disposable and ordinary. Not sure what made me buy some this year. I bought some beautiful dark red mums, also some white ones. They are lovely! I didn't have much color in my garden this year due to the heat and drought so these seem to brighten things up significantly.

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    1. My garden looks pretty much dead right now, but my garden mum-loving neighbor's garden looks amazing due to all the mums she has planted. I think it took the affects of the drought for me to see the potential in these blooms.

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  7. I'm not big on buying mums that look like puff balls in a pot. However when they grow in my garden and have that wonderful natural movement and fragrance I just love them.

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    1. Renata, You know, I hadn't ever really thought of them looking like "puff balls in a pot" until your comment. This weekend everywhere I went all I could see was that all the garden mums planted in the public planters looked like puff balls. You're right! They do look a lot better when they're allowed to grow more naturally.

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  8. Nice! I've always liked my mums, I just cut them back in summer when I cut back my tall phlox and they bloom great. I like to see some new varieties.

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    1. Garden Broad, I for one would like to see some advances and new varieties in mums. It seems like ever planter that uses them has the candy corn look to them and some nicer colors would probably go a long way to get people interested in growing garden mums.

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  9. I'm pretty sure I'm the only person under the age of 35 who genuinely likes mums. Sure the bedding mums aren't the most exciting plant ever but damn, what else will give you a carpet of color this late in the season? I have mums at work that are just starting to bloom now...they should be in peak in NOVEMBER. What else would be in peak bloom in Chicago in November?! If you're ever bored, check out Kings Mums, they have some amazing show varieties. My favorite are the brush/thistle types.

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    1. Tom, you may just be the only person under 35 that likes garden mums. And you're right, there isn't much blooming in Chicago around this time so I shouldn't be so judgmental about garden mums, but I can't help it. :0) I'll have to check out the King Mums online and see what they look like.

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